Edith Stein: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross [Paperback]

Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda (Author), Michael Linssen (Preface), Susanne M. Batzdorff (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0879738324 | ISBN-13: 978-0879738327 | Publication Date: March 2001

María Ruiz Scaperlanda Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was a brilliant professor, an intellectual, a philosopher, a feminist, and a Jew. She was also a convert, a contemplative nun, a martyr of the Holocaust. Now she is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Better known as Edith Stein, she is perhaps the most controversial saint in recent history. Award-winning journalist María Ruiz Scaperlanda shows how this complex woman, her culture, and the pivotal period of history in which she lived and died can lead Catholics to holiness today. More than a biography, this gripping account calls to mind the struggle with truth, Faith, and prayer all of us must ultimately face.

Product Details

• Paperback: 207 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (IN) (March 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879738324
• ISBN-13: 978-0879738327
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #899,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strands woven into a fine book, November 7, 2001

By 

SMFran Gangloff (Buffalo, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Edith Stein: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Paperback)

I really like how this author has woven a story out of the several strands - of Edith's own writings - of others who have written about her - of the history of the Jews in Germany - and of the life and times of Adolf Hitler as it affected Edith's life and that of millions of Jews and Christians. The author has braided together some wonderful connections that set Edith's life in the context of her times and of our times. I found special joy in these connections because I have read almost all of the sources - primary and secondary - separately - and it is good to see them woven together with spiritual meanings. This book now holds a place of prominece on my Edith Stein shelf of books.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, May 2, 2001

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Sister Ruth Miriam Irey, OCD "Ruth" (Piedmont,OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edith Stein: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Paperback)

In her book, Maria Scaperlanda attempts to unfold the the complex figure of Edith Stein/St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. The author gives us "snapshots" of the feminist, philosopher, Carmelite and saint. Ms. Scaperlanda not only tells us Edith's story, she also interweaves it with the story of others who died in the Shoah,(including Edith's family)while locating it within its historical context. Ms. Scaperlanda also includes a section on the Jewish/Christian controversy surrounding this saint. She is to be admired for going where others fear to tread in this regard. She is also to be congratulated for making Edith Stein assessible to the average American reader. If one is looking for a book on phenomenology, this book will disappoint, however, if one is seeking to learn more about the multi-dimensional personality of Edith Stein, the reader will be rewarded. The author includes an extensive bibliography for those who wish to dig deeper into the study of this remarkable woman.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Modern Saint, July 21, 2001

By 

Peter Keupen (Norman, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edith Stein: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Paperback)

Maria Scaperlanda's book on Edith Stein provides those unfamilar with this fascinating, modern Saint with a great introduction to her life and thought. The reader will be able to follow Edith Stein on her passionate life journey, sustained by her desire to find truth, first pursued in philosophy and finally completed in her embrace of Catholicism and life as a contemplative, Carmelite religious. Although there are various books about Edith Stein on the market, Maria Scaperlanda's work is the best work to provide the reader with an introduction to Edith Stein and guide the reader on to further works on the Saint with an excellent bibliography. Edith Stein's life and work should be studied by all those who seek meaning and truth (not only Catholics), especially in our current post-modern, relativistic culture that so vehemently denies absolute truth. This book is also an excellent choice as spiritual reading for Christians desiring to study the life of a contemporary Saint.